Silver Leaf
by Melodyrider
Summary: Kitty Pryde learns more than she expected when she practices a new way to use her powers.
1. Chapter 1

**Silver Leaf**

This story is a giftfic for Oldprydefan. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

_Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters, locations and concepts belonging to Marvel Entertainment. No claim of ownership is made or implied by me in using their property. No part of this work is intended for material gain of any kind. It is intended for the sole purpose of creative exercise and the entertainment of others._

* * *

At the cusp of Fifteen, she'd already cultivated an aptitude for making her will known that would do any domineering Mother Superior proud. The set of her jaw was an anchor no force could budge. Whenever it suited her, honey-brown eyes became twin coals: hard, cold and on the verge of flaring at the merest spark. Her voice could instantly become a machete, cleaving through every objection in her path. Even sitting down she projected the same aura of challenge she normally achieved when she drew herself up, placed her hands on her hips and gave a piece of her mind to whichever poor soul unfortunate enough to cross her. She knew, with absolute certainty, that when she wanted to be heard, nobody would think to ignore her (This could of course backfire when she was being a selfish brat, but she was confident that wasn't a problem at the moment.) Just as her mutant power allowed her to barrel through any obstacle in her path as if it didn't exist, so too had that become her approach to any other confrontation. The likes of Arnold Friend posed no threat to one such as her.

Kitty Pryde didn't always bring these talents to bear, and she wasn't expecting to use them now. In her opinion it was enough just to know she could if she needed to. When it was important. "Okay, one more time," she said, gazing at Peter with steady, serious eyes, the only hint of what she was holding in reserve to ensure his cooperation.

This would be the third 'one more time' so far.

"I think we've already done enough, don't you?" Peter asked, shifting slightly as he sat across the kitchen table from Kitty. The miniscule lift of one brow spoke volumes of how his patience had far from expired, but he was now actively working to keep it that way.

"I want to be _sure_."

"The Beyonder is gone, Kitty. And all his misguided deeds are undone."

Kitty gave a derisive snort. _Villainous _deeds was closer to how she'd describe what the Beyonder had done, and among his most heinous acts was the very subject she was so intent on picking apart with Peter. "He killed them." Kitty clenched her fist as a fresh wave of anger surged through her at the thought. She wanted to hit something, but even when she'd been face-to-face with the Beyonder, sick with grief and hopelessness, she'd resisted that impulse and simply told him off. It had turned out to be the wiser course of action. "He slaughtered every single one of the New Mutants and he did it with all the emotion of... of buttering toast." She punctuated her point with a quick gesture toward the plate between them. "He killed your _sister_." That, at least, got more of a reaction from Peter. His face stiffened, momentarily clouding the expression of sympathetic understanding he'd been wearing since their conversation began. Not that she thought for a moment he was heartless about the whole thing, but she did feel some amount of satisfaction at seeing the effect those words had on him.

"And when he was done, he _erased_ them. He wiped out everyone's memory and all trace of their existence." Why he'd bothered was something Kitty still couldn't make sense of. She'd made herself sick dwelling on it and had come no closer to finding any logic in his seemingly whimsical cruelty and destruction. In some ways, Kitty considered that the worst part about what he'd done, because out of everyone, she _had_ kept her memories. The mysterious link she shared with Illyana had somehow overcome the Beyonder's own power and left Kitty clad in eldritch armor, the legacy as supreme ruler of Limbo passed once again from her soul sister. She'd never felt so alone, haunted by an awareness nobody else shared and faced with blank looks whenever she mentioned the New Mutants.

Peter nodded slowly, watching the emotions play across Kitty's face. "Those are all true things," he said. "But he also restored them to life, as well our memories. It is as if nothing at all had happened to them."

"I want to believe that. I really do."

"And yet something prevents you," Peter finished for her. "Even though I have recited everything I know about Illyana from the day she was born to her favorite pizza toppings."

"The Beyonder could have planted all that," Kitty said. "How do we know they're your real memories, or that Illyana and Doug and all the others are really back?" She burst from her seat and began to pace around the kitchen, hands slapping at her sides with worry and frustration each time she did an about face. "What if they're just clones, or simulacrums or some other pale imitation of the genuine articles? It could all be one big trick."

Peter rose and crossed the floor to where Kitty was, placing a hand on each shoulder to stay her agitated course. She looked up at him, suddenly feeling very small, and not just because of how he dwarfed her physically. She tried to lift her face higher and found she couldn't make herself meet his eyes.

"I need to be sure," she repeated, knowing how lame it sounded.

When Peter took one of her hands in his own she didn't protest, nor did she raise an objection when he pressed it against his chest. "I would know it here." His voice sent vibrations she felt along with his heartbeat. She had to suppress an urge to shiver at the sensation. "No artificial memory could ever duplicate the way I feel when I think about my Snowflake. She lives and she is real. If I can accept this, how is it you cannot?"

"They were all dead, and he just brings them back with a snap of his fingers," Kitty said. She slipped her hand out from where his still held it and then drew back a step. It was easier to meet his eyes now, but the words she spoke still came slow and quiet, like shadows she didn't want to examine too closely. "It just doesn't seem possible."

"You've seen for yourself the power wielded by the Beyonder. Is it so hard to believe he could bring the dead back to life?"

A shadow fell over Kitty's face at his question, but she was silent. That was a path she didn't want to go down, especially with the man in front of her. Normally he would have been right. A resurrection or five would seem like child's play compared to some of the other things she'd witnessed. Then again, if the Beyonder could bring the New Mutants back to life, why couldn't he do the same when Peter had wished with all his heart for Zasji's death to be undone?

The obvious answer to that question was one she refused to entertain. She no longer blamed Zasji herself for Peter falling in love with her while he and the rest of the X-Men had been stranded on Battleworld. She'd long ago shifted the responsibility for that betrayal to the Beyonder himself, but the love Peter had felt for the healer, regardless of how it had happened, had to be real. Crushed as she'd been, she could live with the idea that Peter's feelings for her had waned because he'd found true love in the arms of a gentle, simple farm girl who had more in common with Peter than she could ever hope to have (even if Zsaji _had_ been an alien to boot). Discovering that her heart had been shattered over a false infatuation, something he'd only _thought_ was real, was more than Kitty believed she could bear.

She'd die before she told Peter any of that, though.

Peter waited for Kitty's answer, and when it became clear none would be forthcoming, he said, "We can go over it again later, if you still want to. For now, perhaps we could do something else?"

For the briefest of moments Kitty considered dropping back into lecture mode and insisting that they would keep going over every little detail about Peter's memories of Illyana until she was satisfied, but just as quickly abandoned it. Instead, a thoughtful smile slowly spread across her face. One that would probably fill Peter with dread, she supposed, but there wasn't anything he'd be able to do about it.

"Now that you mention it, there _is_ something I've been meaning to do with you lately."


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters, locations and concepts belonging to Marvel Entertainment. No claim of ownership is made or implied by me in using their property. No part of this work is intended for material gain of any kind. It is intended for the sole purpose of creative exercise and the entertainment of others._

* * *

"I am going to regret this, aren't I?"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. I just want to try something out with my powers."

"Then my doom is assured."

"All right, knock it off, buster." Kitty did a quick circuit around Peter, carefully evaluating him from every angle. Mathematical formulae flowed effortlessly through Kitty's mind as she gauged mass, density and an assortment of other variables, each calculation coming to her with as much ease as items in a shopping list. Her gaze _might_ have lingered a little more than was strictly necessary, but she liked to be thorough.

Peter indulged her scrutiny with bemused tolerance, waiting until she returned to her point of origin before he spoke again. "Do I dare ask what you have in mind for my part in this?"

"Only if you want some really creative answers." Kitty allowed herself a moment's giggle at the sight of Peter's reddening cheeks before she decided to let him off the hook. "I've been thinking about that last fight against the Sentinels. The ones from Ray's future."

It also happened to be Kitty's first true battle with the giant, mutant-hunting robots. Between them and the horror known as Nimrod, time travel had played a part in each of her encounters with Dr. Bolivar Trask's legacy.

Peter gave a slow, solemn nod. "The ones the Beyonder sent."

"Well, yes, but that's totally unrelated."

To his credit, Peter made no sign and spoke no words of doubt at that. "It was not one we will soon forget, I think." After a moment's thought he added, "This is regarding that trick you devised."

"Bingo."

"It certainly took the Sentinels by surprise, didn't it?"

Kitty beamed at him. "Hey, if Doug and Warlock can do it, why not us?"

"I don't think what they do works quite the same way as what we did."

"That's putting it mildly," Kitty said, "Which is why we need to practice."

Peter kept his face aggravatingly neutral. "And you wish to do this now," he said.

"Well, _yeah_. As long as we're holed up here in San Francisco we can't exactly drop by the Danger Room, and who knows when we might have to pull an encore?" Kitty stood straight as a tuning fork at the ready, braced for any objections Peter might offer.

The teasing smile which formed on his lips was far from an objection. Kitty had seen that smile plenty of times, prelude to some deceptively mild observation, though usually directed Logan's way. "Perhaps I should be thankful you haven't sprung this on me without any warning," Peter said.

The joke was harmless enough, but it sparked a swirl of memories that brought a quick flush to Kitty's cheeks. Her old habit of ambushing him had often been combined with impulsively stolen kisses, and those days were long done. "Sure. That's what friends are for, right?" Peter probably didn't need a reminder of where their relationship currently stood; He was the one who dumped her, after all, but she thought it was a good idea to reinforce a few boundaries anyway. At least he'd taken to heart her request never to call her 'Katya' again.

"That is true," Peter said, acknowledging Kitty's point without drawing attention to it. They were still feeling their way around their new friendship and much of it involved careful evasion of the elephant in the room that was their previous romance.

"So how about it, then?"

Peter seemed to weigh her proposal over in his head, expression just guarded enough to make Kitty fear he'd try to refuse after all. He opened his mouth, closed it, and shrugged.

"I'm ready when you are."


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters, locations and concepts belonging to Marvel Entertainment. No claim of ownership is made or implied by me in using their property. No part of this work is intended for material gain of any kind. It is intended for the sole purpose of creative exercise and the entertainment of others._

* * *

Kitty resisted the urge to give a little victory cheer. She wasn't a kid anymore, after all; An X-Man didn't do such things. With a single, deep breath, she schooled her features into a proper state of seriousness. "Okay, stand right there and don't move," she said, holding up one hand as if she was swearing an oath.

"All right."

That settled, Kitty positioned herself at Peter's side, facing the same direction. They stood together like figure skaters preparing to start their routine. She had already phased, and with no further preamble she stepped over, her foot vanishing into his as if she were nothing but a holographic image. Another step and she passed out of sight completely. Anyone walking into the kitchen at that moment would have thought Peter was alone with nothing but the plate of buttered toast on the table to keep him company.

The next step was going to be the tricky part. Last time had been a life-or-death situation, and she'd improvised, mostly acting on instinct. Most of the discoveries she'd made using her powers had been accidents: airwalking, disrupting electronics, even the simple act of walking through walls. Consciously repeating the process wasn't always as simple, and considering her entire body was enveloped inside Peter's, there wouldn't be a second chance if she happened to miscalculate. There wouldn't be much of either of them, actually, and the mess they'd leave behind would be a horrible way to show their appreciation to Jessica Drew and Lindsay McCabe for letting the X-Men stay in their home.

Kitty sifted through the mental notes and observations she'd made during the battle, weeding out everything that didn't relate to the merge itself. Taking what was left, she further compartmentalized whatever could have been contaminated by all the distractions involved. She'd run through this process several times before, but having Peter envelop her as he was added a new perspective to it, and she worked through every grain of data to find the connections. This wasn't like swimming through the earth while she was phased. Peter's body was in constant flux, blood pumping through his veins, breath filling his lungs, every nerve and muscle sending and responding to an infinite flow of stimuli. She was aware of all of it, the atoms of her own body seeming to vibrate in response to sensations just beyond their reach.

An invisible smile grew as realization dawned on her. Could it really be that simple? Concentrating, she pushed out with her power, extending it as far as she could. Already she could feel the intangibility broaden, just as it did whenever she phased an object or another person. She increased her focus, sensing that she was close.

She felt a slight tingle as the merge completed, the sensation growing in a rush, overwhelming her, until she couldn't be sure where she ended and Peter began. She wasn't so much anchored to him as _blended_, dissolved into Peter like salt into water. Kitty would have gasped if it were possible, and then realized that she _had_.

Peter took a step back, blue eyes wide with alarm. "Kitty? Is everything okay?" He frantically patted himself like someone who'd just realized they'd lost their keys. "Has something gone wrong? Kitty!"

Kitty leapt out from him like a spirit being exorcised. Her arms were flung forward as if she were pushing her way through a fog. "Whoa!" she said, tumbling backward a step as she wheeled around to face Peter. "I'm okay, honest!" She wobbled slightly, and Peter stepped in to catch her.

"You do not seem okay," he said as Kitty steadied herself.

Kitty waved away his concern as she gently stepped out of his supporting grasp. "Just a little disoriented, is all." She walked carefully to the table and sank heavily in one of the chairs. "I could see what you were seeing," she said, lifting one hand and studying it as if seeing it for the first time. "It kinda took me by surprise."

Peter looked at her sharply. "Is that possible?"

"Seeing through your eyes or me getting taken by surprise?"

The tension in Peter's face and shoulders faded like a bleached stain. "If you can make jokes, you must be okay."

"Toldja. I remember that from the first time we did this, but in all the excitement I wrote it off as something I must have imagined. That isn't all, though. I could also hear what you heard, and when you breathed, my lungs filled with air. Sort of." Kitty's eyes grew wide with excitement as she processed the experience. Her words spilled out in an enthusiastic rush, nearly spilling over each other as she spoke. "I think my power must have created a symbiotic bond with your nervous system. Your circulatory and respiratory systems, too. I sorta _became_ you… but I was still me, if that makes any sense."

"So that is what happened," Peter said. "I sensed something strange and feared you might be suffocating."

Kitty gave her head a quick shake to reassure him. "Nope. In fact, I bet I could go all day like that if I needed to." Her face suddenly lit up. "Just think about all the places I could smuggle myself into. I could be the ultimate spy!" She all but rubbed her hands together.

Quirking one eyebrow, Peter said, "Couldn't you just as easily bypass most security systems by phasing as you normally do?"

"Well, sure, but this would be way more 'James Bond.'"

Peter shook his head and chuckled. "I suppose you do have a point."

Looking pleased with herself, Kitty bounced out of her seat and stood in front of Peter expectantly. "So. Ready?"

"Again?" Peter's smile did a hard turn toward incredulous.

"Of course. I want to give this a real test."

"This hasn't been real enough for you already?"

"Not even close, big guy." She moved closer to Peter and gave one beefy arm a quick pat. "This time maybe walk around the apartment some, okay?" Not waiting for an answer, she dove into him.

"Kitty!"

Peter staggered back, staring down at himself with arms wide as if he'd been blasted in the chest with a shotgun. A moment later his hands fell to his hips and he heaved a beleaguered sigh. "We will talk about this later," he promised.

1 Yarbro Court was the first of a block of Queen Anne row houses, built when San Francisco was still a young city eager to prove its greatness, elegance and flair. The small, Ceder Heights neighborhood the house was a part of would ordinarily be a homeowner's dream, were it not also thought to be haunted. As Peter roamed the halls, Kitty wondered if any ghosts lurking about would consider her a new member of their ranks or an intruder and a phony.

Not that she _believed_ there were any ghosts, of course.

The tour of Jessica's and Lindsay's home was haunting-free, leaving Kitty to her thoughts as she put her own mutant-powered spin on piggybacking. With the other X-Men out for the day, Kitty and Peter had the house to themselves. Kitty would have also been prowling the city if she hadn't chosen to quiz Peter over breakfast instead.

Sharing Peter's senses wasn't nearly as disorienting anymore. Instead she was fascinated by the different nuances of his perceptions and how they contrasted with her own. Not having to worry about breathing was an unexpected bonus. Walking around with Peter added a whole new dimension to her observations. No matter how he moved, or how quickly, she moved with him, as if her limbs were fused with his. For a fleeting moment she imagined herself the pilot of a powered suit of armor, as if she were in one of her favorite Anime shows. The feeling would have been even stronger had Peter been steeled up. She really should have done this sooner, she decided.

Lost in thought, Kitty nearly missed the sound of the front door opening, but Peter did not. He turned toward it just as the new arrival said, "Anybody home?"


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters, locations and concepts belonging to Marvel Entertainment. No claim of ownership is made or implied by me in using their property. No part of this work is intended for material gain of any kind. It is intended for the sole purpose of creative exercise and the entertainment of others._

* * *

He was David Ishima, Jessica and Lindsay's landlord. David was a hawk of a man, sleek and solidly built, who looked to be in his early thirties. He wore his dark hair loose and long and had a fondness for loose-fitting shirts cut or unbuttoned to display a great deal of his toned chest, a habit Kitty hoped he wouldn't grow tired of any time soon. He and Jessica Drew had dated for a time, but they split some time before she lost her powers as Spider-Woman.

"Good morning, David," Peter said. "Are you looking for Jessica?"

David returned Peter's greeting with a friendly wave as he shut the door behind him. "Hey there, Peter. Actually I just spoke with her and thought I'd swing by here. Is Kitty around?"

Peter hesitated. Kitty knew he was waiting for her to phase out of him, and knew just as well that she ought to. It wasn't polite to hide her presence from David, after all. She held back. This was as close as she was ever likely to get to being invisible, and she liked that David couldn't tell she was there even though she was essentially right in front of him. After a moment, Peter answered. "Yes, Kitty's… in."

"Perfect. Lila Chaney's got a gig at the Chi Chi Club in a couple days. I've got tickets and I thought I'd invite her along."

Kitty's opinion of David immediately improved tenfold.

Peter's response was significantly more reserved than Kitty's hidden celebration. "I see."

"You don't mind, do you?" David thrust his hands in his pockets, looking as casual as his question sounded, but there was a slight wariness in the way he looked at Peter, as if he was a bit surprised by the response.

"Why would I mind?" Peter asked with a shrug, countering David's nonchalance in equal measure. "I know you to be a gentleman and am sure you will make a considerate and respectful chaperon."

_Or a date_, Kitty thought. At least, that was how she was planning to describe it to Ororo when she got the chance. Just to see the expression on her face.

"Well, you two used to date, didn't you?" David asked.

Kitty wasn't so sure she wanted to be party to this conversation anymore, but revealing her presence now would mean a lot of explaining on her part, so she stayed where she was. This was what she got for being curious, she told herself.

"Da, but we are not… We are friends now." Peter's face was granite-stiff. He crossed his arms in front of him. "If Kitty wishes to go with you, I am in no position to object."

David's eyes narrowed cannily, as if he'd just caught Peter at something. "But if you were, would you?"

There was an unmistakable jump in Peter's heart rate, and if Kitty wasn't still phased inside him her breath would have caught in her throat. He'd proven not too long ago that he still cared for her, something which had done more to help build a friendship over the wreckage of their old love than anything, but she never expected to find such clear evidence that he still cared _this much_. Kitty's own heart skipped a beat as surprise and indecision washed over her. She barely heard Peter's response to David's question.

"I am sorry. That isn't something I wish to discuss."

_Damn it_, Kitty thought. Not that Peter's attempt to be evasive mattered. She had all the proof she needed for how he really felt. She had no idea what to do with it, though. He'd been the one who broke up with her, after all. If he still cared so much for her, why hadn't he asked her to take him back? If he did, would she accept? Up until that moment, her answer would have been a resounding "no." Now she wasn't so sure. She'd been so afraid of having her heart broken all over again, but maybe, just maybe there was hope for them after all.

"I understand," David said, nodding. "Not my place to pry, anyway."

Peter relaxed a bit, letting his hands drop back to his sides. "I'm sure Kitty will be pleased when you invite her," he said.

A loose smile curved David's lips. "Hopefully. She seems like she could use some cheering up. She's been a little down ever since she showed up in that weird armor a few days ago."

At the mention of Illyana's armor, Kitty's eyes became saucer-wide, though neither man could see it. Like a sunbreak through thick clouds, realization shot through her in a bright rush. Not caring anymore if she was noticed, she phased out of Peter, dropping through the floor in a blink. Her mind was a whirlwind as she airwalked to her room and she had to consciously steady herself before excitement and uncertainty overtook her completely.

Could it really be that simple?

There was only one way to find out. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she tried to summon her best friend's Soulsword. She trembled, afraid of what might happen next. The responsibility as ruler and guardian of Limbo was not one she'd asked for or wanted, even a little, and after she learned how to send the sword off to wherever it went when it wasn't being wielded, her intent was never to take hold of it again. Too much darkness came with that power, and she wanted no part of either.

She felt a faint tickle in response to her call, but no enchanted sword glowing with mystic flames appeared in her hands. No armor draped her body like a sheet of silver leaf. Only the still brush of silence answered. She tried again, putting more effort into it this time. Still, nothing. Illyana's Soulsword, an artifact which even the seemingly limitless power of the Beyonder had not been able to deceive, had recognized the return of its true mistress, and there it chose to stay.

There was a phone in Jessica's room, right next to Kitty's. She phased through the wall separating the two and steered herself toward the nightstand next to the bed, where the phone waited. Reaching for it, she nearly jumped when it sounded a sharp trill just as her fingers touched the handle. It never got to ring a second time before she snatched it up and spoke a tentative, "Hello?"

"Hi, is Kitty there?" It was Illyana.

Kitty felt a lump growing in her throat and hastily swallowed it back down. "Hey there, roomie," she said. "How's it going?"

There was a soft chuckle. "Hurricane Magneto's still Headmaster. How do you think? When are you gonna get back here so we can suffer together?"

"Trying to get out of studying?"

"Moi?" Illyana said. There was a brief pause, and a slight tension filled the silence. "Actually, I just felt like calling all of a sudden. Weird, huh?"

The lump in Kitty's throat was stubborn, and made another push upward. "Not really. I was just about to call you, in fact."

Another silence. "You okay, Kitty?"

Kitty's hands were trembling again. She clutched the phone to her ear as if it were a lifeline. "I'm great, really."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Kitty said, snatching at her eyes with her free thumb to banish the tears that were threatening to spill. She smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure."

_fin_


End file.
